Chester mcneil



(No Model.)

0'. McNEIL. SEAM FOR FABRICS.

Patented Dec. 29

P M W N z h m t m a a Hornet;-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHESTER MONEIL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SPECIAL SEWVING MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SEAM FOR FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,139, dated December 29, 1891.

Application filed October 28,1891. Serial No. 410.091. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHESTER MoNEIL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seams, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in seams-for fabrics.

In an application filed by me March 27th, 1891, Serial No. 386,620, I have described a method-of joining, overseaming, or ornament- I 5 ing fabrics, consisting in forming two rows of interlocking stitches, one row on the edge of each piece of fabric to be joined, said rows being interlocked during the operation of sewing. The same method may be applied to the formation of an ornamental border on a piece of fabric, such as a knit garment, thus making a selvage edge and an ornamental finish at the same time. The method may also be applied to ornamenting the flat face of a fabric, making an ornamental seam.

Any other method of forming the seam, however, may be employed by me. I prefer to make the seam or combination of threads on a machine which comprises two vertically-reciprocating thread-carrying eye-pointed needles, which are placed diagonally with relation to the line of the seam, which have also a lateral vibratory movement, whereby each needle is carried over into the path of the 3 5 other, thereby making two rows of zigzag interlocking-stitches, though other machines may be used.

The object of the present invention is to so make a seam that it may be employed either 0 for joining together the edges of fabrics, for making an ornamental border on one edge thereof, or for making an ornamental seam on the face of the fabric.

The present specification is designed to cover, broadly, the combination of a fabric with threads arranged in the manner accomplished not only by the use of that method just referred to, but by the use of other methods of manufacture.

5 o Theinvention comprises a certain structural combination of threads with a fabric, as hereinafter described, and referred to in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view showing the body portion of a fabricprovided with the two rows of zigzag stitches interlocking one with another. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing two pieces of fabric with their meeting edges each provided with a row of overedge stitches, the rows interlocking one with another. Fig. 3 is a similar View showing a fabric having an ornamental border, made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 4 shows in diagram the edges of knit goods united, as in Fig.2. Fig.

5 is a bottom view of afabric having my seam.

In the drawings, A represents the body portion of the fabric or garment.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, when it is desired merely to provide the front face of the fabric or garment with an ornamentation according to the invention, a line of zigzag stitches, as a, is formed on the fabric, and either at the same time or subsequently thereto another line of stitches b similar thereto is formed, each stitch of the zigzag lines a I) being formed alternately on the opposite sides of the central line of the seam and in the line of the other stitches, whereby the threads cross on the upper side of the fabric, thus bringing alternate stitches of the line win an angle of the line of stitches b, the loops 0 cl, respectively, of the two rows of stitches forming two continuous rows and crossing over 8 5 and being interlocked one with another on the under side. Separate under-threads, as f 9, may be employed to lock the loops 0 cl on the under side of thefabric. a

When it is desired to overseam the edge of a fabric, it is provided with a row of zigzag stitches a adjacent to the edge, the loops 0 extending close to or beyond the edge, the row of stitches I) being formed beyond the edge of fabric, the loops 0 and d, as in the other cases, being interlocked one with another. It will be understood, of course, that the edge of the fabric may be trimmed before or during the operation of sewing, and that the two rows of stitches may be made simul- 10o tancously or not. \Vhen the loops of the row of stitches a extend beyond the edge of the fabric, it will be seen that they form an artificial selvage for the fabric, and, with the additional row of zigzag or overedge stitches interlocking therewith, make an exceedinglyornamental border, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

In Figs. 2 and 5 I have shown two pieces of fabric A to be joined. They are out to proper shape, and their raw edges are provided with rows of zigzag stitches a 19, forming continuous rows of loops 0 (Z, respectively, extending over the edges of the fabrics, forming an artificial selvage or anchorage. These loops extend over into each others path and are in terlocked one with another, the seam thereby holding by the threads a b,instead of by the loops of the fabric. 1 make no claim in this application to the method of joining, overseaming, or ornamenting fabrics described in said other application referred to, this present application covering a fabric provided with a certain combination of threads. This seam,

it will be readily seen, can be applied to any one of the three uses above mentionedviz., to ornamenting the flat face of a fabric, to joining the edges of two pieces of fabric together, or for forming an ornamental finish on the edge of a fabricand I claim, broadly, a seam composed of the elements specified, no matter to what purpose it may be applied.

Having described my invention, what I clainnand desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The herein-described seam, comprising the fabric A, the threads a b, crossing each other on top of the fabric, and each having a series of loops 0 (l passing through the material at points oblique to each other respecting the line of the seam and interlocking one with another, substantially as. described.

2. The herein-described seam, comprising the fabric A, the threads ab, arranged in zig zag lines and crossing each other on the upper surface of the fabric, the continuous rows of loops 0 (Z, formed in said threads (1, Z) on the under side of said fabric, interlocking one wi! 11 another, and the separate under-threads fg passing through said loops, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHESTER MGNEIL.

\Vitnesses:

MYRON C. BAKER, G. F. LINDQUIST. 

